it, musi
on disc this month
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RDOU. COLLEGE RA ( HART SPONSORED MiniS NY
1. US3, Hand on the Torch US3 6. Lois, Strumpet (K)
(Blue Note/Capitol)
2. Afghan Whigs, Gentlemen (Elektra) 7. Spinnes, Manos(Sub Pop)
3. Silkworm, In the West (C/Z) 8. Unrest, Perfect Teeth (4-AD)
4. Lemonheads, Come On Feel the 9. Go Is My Co-Pilot, Straight Not
Lemonheads (Atlantic) (Outpunk)
5. Ramones, Acid Eaters (Radioactive) 10. Erik's Trip, Love Tara (Sub Pop)
Chart solely based on college radio aiplay. Contributing radio stations: VIDB, Southern Illinois U.; W"TUL, Tulane U.;
KUCB, U. of Colorado; KCMU, U. of Washington; KUSF, U. of San Francisco; KCOU, U. of Missouri; KCRN,
Ohio U.; KRNU, U. of Nebraska, Kearney;v WCBN, U. of Michigan; KRUI, U. of Iowa; KWVA, U. of Oregon;
KTSB, U. of Texas; WIUV, U. of Vermont; XWUM, U. of Mi ami; WSBF, Clemson U.; WUOGH, U. of Georgia
i
Key: *****= Celeb ****= Doctor
Afghan Whigs
Gentlemen (Elektra)
Last year, Cin-
cinnati angsta' rock-
ers Afghan Whigs
finally decided to add
themselves to the
ever-growing list of.
indie buzz bands
making lucrative transitions to major
labels. Gentlemen, the group's first
album since leaving the Sub Pop label,
picks up nicely where the 1992 under-
ground hit Congregation left off. Greg
Dulli's pained, wailing vocals soar over
the screeching whine of the Whigs'
grinding guitars. The resulting sound is
less potent than their last effort, but
ultimately satisfying.
Gentlemen delivers chills, yet it
doesn't really kick out the furious
adrenaline rush we've come to expect
from similarly angry young bands.
Nevertheless, tracks like the sprawling
ballad "My Curse," the intense single
"Debonair," and the title track still pack
a winning intensity. Stephen
Thompson, The Onion, U. of
Wisconsin & U. of Illinois
***= Trainee **= Mdob *= Lawyer
Various Artists
Alternative NRG (Hollywood)
There's been no h
shortage of benefit
albums in recent
months, but none of
them offer the kind of
cohesion that sets
Greenpeace's Alter-
native NRG apart. Like its counterparts,
Alternative NRG sports serious star
power, including U2, R.E.M., Sonic
Youth, Annie Lennox and UB40. But
where other albums offer up mere B-
sides, each of these 16 live tracks was
specially commissioned for NRG.
The infamously stage-shy R.E.M.
devoted its only 1993 concert to the
cause, and their bright, hard-edged ver-
sion of "Drive" makes for an excellent
opening. Gently beautiful, James'
acoustic "Ring the Bells" and Midnight
Oil's "Tell Me the Truth" accompany
the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy's
cataclysmic "Everyday Life Has
Become a Health Risk." Alternative
NRG is one benefit album that's well
worth the investment. Kelly
O'Donnell, Daily Bruin, UCLA
The Sealand Poets
Wekome to the Heathen Reserve
(Reprise)
From the dense,
pounding repetition
of "Tomorrow I Shall'
Sail" to the tropical ..
sway of "She's Liz
Taylor and I'm Dick
Burton," Copen-
hagen's Sealand Poets have created an
obscure but spunky debut album.
Evident in The Poets' simple, opti-
mistic language, the legacy of fellow
Scandinavians ABBA shines through.
The lyrics also recall the impressionistic
style of Charlatans: "No no not so
small, me pain head where light
burns/kiss good cry we got a sound
now."
But apart from a few remarkable
phrases, like "Nail my eyes to that
stone... I will be your most private ter-
ror," the lyrics serve merely as back-
ground for the sound of Troels Bech's
deft guitar. Moving from ethereal pop
to power chord with ease, Bech's play-
ing embodies most of what is likable
about the album. * Yosha Bourgea,
The Bradley Scout, Bradley U.
Meat Puppets
Too High to Die
(London/Polygram)
From the under-
ground of skin- t
scorching Arizona H;
comes Too High to
Die, another diverse
Meat Puppets release.
For 13 years this bandr
has slowly chipped away at rock and roll
sensibility, creating their unique style of
twisted, unconventional, melodic music.
Tracks like "Comin' Down" and
"Shine" are dusty-sounding ditties
chock full of lyrical innuendoes about
misinterpretation, reinforcing a Puppets
credo that things aren't as they seem.
Rhythmically solid "Violet Eyes" and
"We Don't Exist" groove with a semi-
hard, sparse edge. Quirky, inventive
guitar lines via Curt Kirkwood thread
Too High to Die together, adding anoth-
er layer to this thick-sounding trio.
Remaining in the background while
peers like Soul Asylum rocket to star-
dom, the Meat Puppets continue
putting out no-nonsense, high caliber
records. They are still cranking out fun-
in-the-sun, gritty tunes - Arizona
style. * Aaron Cole, The Union,
California State U., Long Beach
Adam Sandler
they're all gonna laugh at you!
(Warner Bros.)
Generation X may
not know where it's
going, but it knows
where it's been: high
school. And by look-
ing at '90s pop culture
icons, one might
think it never graduated.
Saturday Night Live's Adam Sandler
joins the underachiever craze with his
new CD, they're all gonna laugh at you!
The CD is packed with flashbacks of
high school from the daydreaming per-
spective. The janitor, bus driver, science
and Spanish teachers are all brought back
to life with due beatings. Even Mom, uri-
nation and baseball are fair game.
Between comic skits, Sandler sneaks
in five musical bits, all about food, to
some extent. Sandler's bits may be pre-
dictable, but it is only because they play
on a cast of characters that we all know
and love. Troy Fuss, State Press
Magazine, Arizona State U.
in the studio
* Interstopo Record's 4 Non Blondes lake their buzz-
nesoeRcr' o lne eterbin selves back to the console in March. They are working
on various hushed side projects, including a Led Zeppelin
tribute album. 4NB contributed their own skewed cover of
"Misty Mountain Hop" to the compilation.
* Life's been good lately for the Red Hot Chili Peppers
who are recording their next album (due in September) in
Hawaii. It must be tough writing and recording songs in a
$16,000-a-month house on a bluff over the Pacific. 4°n Blondes
0 The granddaddies of torture-tech, Skinny Puppy, survived the fires and recent earthquakes
while making their debut album (due in May) for American Recordings in Zuma Beach, Calif.
The kingpins of thrash-punk, Slayer, plan to lay down tracks soon with producer extraordi-
naire Rick Rubin. It will be their first release in more than three years. Since each of the group's
preceding records have gone gold, this promises to be another successful, hellish offering.
Also keep an eye out for Helmet's latest (it's in the mixing stages), Non-Aggression Pact,
Violent Femmes' New Times, out in April or May, and Ween's sophomore effort due in May or
June. U Christina Pirozzi, Foghorn, U. of San Francisco
CDs on parade
More releases we didn't have room to review
Curtis Mayfield Tribute (Warner Bros.) 2/15; Hammer (Giant) 3/1; Sass Jordan (MCA)
3/1; Luna (Elektra) 3/1; Anthrax Live (Island) 3/8; Chainsaw Kittens (Mammoth/Atlantic)
3/8; Elvis Costello (Warner Bros.) 3/8; Sam Phillips (Virgin) 3/8; The Latin Playboys
(Slash) 3/8; David Lee Roth (Reprise) 3/8; Brian Setzer Orchestra (Hollywood) 3/8;
Inspiral Carpets (Elektra) 3/11; Motley Crue (Elektra) 3/11; MC Solaar (Island) 3/15; Nine
Inch Nails (Interscope) 3/15; Sheep on Drugs (Island) 3/15; Threesome Soundtrack (Epic)
3/15; Charlatans (Atlantic) 3/22; The Farm (Sire) 3/22; Best of Frankie Goes to Hollywood
(Atlantic) 3/22; Husker Da (Warner Bros.) 3/22; Yes (Victory) 3/22; Yothu Yindi
(Hollywood) 3/22; Phish (Elektra) 3/25; Keith Sweat (Elektra) 3/25; Hole (Geffen) 3/29;
Harry Nilsson Box Set (RCA) 3/29
Ifyou wanna become a rapper, iWs like you wanna become a student
im college. You gotta become a student to the game."
-Snoop DoggyDogg, on learning to rap
22 " U. Magazine
MARCH 1994